


5 years Carl

by winterkills00



Category: Afdeling Q | Department Q (Movies)
Genre: Dark Humor, Grumpy Detective, Idiots in Love, Journal 64 spoilers, M/M, Men who can’t show feelings, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 15:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19771306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterkills00/pseuds/winterkills00
Summary: The box of case 64 files and belongings where still standing in a corner in their office even months after the whole ordeal.Carl didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with the box. The memories of it all still haunting him.





	5 years Carl

**Author's Note:**

> This story is an unbeta’ed story for Valentine’s Day for a friend.

The box of case 64 files and belongings where still standing in a corner in their office even months after the whole ordeal. Assad was back at work, slowly but surely and Carl didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with the box. The memories of it all still haunting him. 

Rose was the one who finally put it on the table with a big “well... shouldn’t we sort this?” Assad gave her a gentle smile but Carl could tell he got tense.  
She did it herself, putting away evidence and files and only when she left the room did carl walk by it to get coffee and notice something was still left in the box. 

The red string was glaringly obvious and he snorted, thinking rose left it on purpose.  
He picked up the little plastic bag with the heart key necklace and put it on the table for her to put away. 

Assad noticed as well, even if he was still tense he got curious when he saw what it was.  
“Is that..?” Memories of corpses around a table flashed before both their minds and Assad stopped himself before finishing the sentence.  
Carl didn’t answer, Assad knew what it was. 

Days later Carl could hear Assad and Rose arguing over something, he saw through the door, Rose was holding a letter and Assad looked uncomfortable. They both stopped abruptly once they noticed Carl was standing there observing them calmly with his coffee. 

Rose looked a little embarrassed but extended her hand with the letter to Carl. “It’s from your aunt.” She said quietly and Assad had other business to attend to but fuck he was curious.  
Carl took the letter and threw it in the trash, just like Rose had said he would. 

Apparently so did Carl’s aunt because only a week later there was a box of things on Carl’s desk labeled with his name.  
Assad had told rose to not look in it even if they both were curious as hell. Carl sighed when he saw it, looking as exhausted as always, sipping his coffee as he opened the box and glared down at his old belongings. 

“What did she send you?” Rose started to chat in, Carl ignoring her as expected. She walked over to his desk and peeked down, Carl giving her a disbelieving look. “A dead cat.” Carl said with his usual stare, making rose look horrified. 

Rose walked away with a displeased face, not caring for Carl’s kind of humor, picking up their cat on her way out, for comfort.  
Assad was curious too but didn’t go about it the same way.  
“Need any help?” He picked the trash can up from the floor and put it next to Carl’s box, clearly knowing his way around Carl’s mind by now.  
Carl sighed and started throwing stuff from the box away. 

In the middle of papers and old pencils and what not was a pair of keys tangled in with a distinct red thread. Carl had let Assad observe his clean out but kinda regretted it now. 

His partner was curiously observing him trying to untangle the red thread from the keys before throwing it all away. 

Assad stuttered and put his cup down, couldn’t believe Carl just did that as he picked the keys up from the trashcan, admiring the single heart key at the end of the thread.  
“Is that...?” He said, similar to last time he saw a heart necklace. 

Carl ignored him, throwing away more stuff as Assad detangled the necklace completely, admiring it in the light. It looked old but not as old as the one they found on the corpse at the apartment. 

“Who has the other one then?”  
Assad had always been curious about it ever since Carl had confessed he had one too.  
Off course Carl ignored him still and Assad held the necklace in his hand, intend on keeping it.  
That’s when Carl scoffed and confessed further. “Vigga”  
Assad was even more curious at that, he had met Carl’s ex wife a couple of times but never thought of them as giddy teenagers in love or newly weds. 

“She still has hers then?” Assad kept poking and he knew Carl would shut off soon but he just had to know.  
“I don’t know..” Carl sounded so exhausted with him, but then added “no. I don’t think so.” A sign of how old they had grown.  
Carl hadn’t technically kept his either, it had been in this box at his aunts place for years. 

“You need two.” Carl regretted saying it right after the words left his mouth.  
Assad smiled, not in a smug way, kindly like he did when he was being patient with Carl.  
“One for you and one for the one who deserves your love.” He continued, even if he sounded disgusted when he said it.  
Assad was still smiling, he knew the rules he just wanted to hear Carl say it. 

“I wasn’t going to give it away.” Assad said when they both had been quiet for some time. This seemed to displease Carl even more but he kept quiet still, clearly done with Assad for today. 

So Shit happened on a case and Carl got paranoid about Assad leaving him again, making him do foolish things. Like kissing Assad while he was half deaf from the explosion of the car.  
He can’t even remember what case it was related to, all the days where blurring together and all he knew was constant was the warmth he felt in his chest when Assad touched him. 

They still had metal and sod flying around them in the air as Carl was on his knees next to Assad who had been hit the hardest from the impact of it. Flashbacks of Assad being bloody and dying in his hands came back and he couldn’t loose him again so he did the dumbest thing he has ever done, and kissed Assad. 

Assad’s head was pounding, couldn’t hear properly, like his ears where stuffed and all he could really see with his blurry vision was Carl above him, holding his head. At first he thought Carl was giving him cpr or something, mouth to mouth, but when Carl’s lips left his he saw it in his partners eyes. Fear and panic and yeah- his boss just kissed him. 

They didn’t talk about it. Off course not. Assad was cleared back to work, even if he really shouldn’t be. He hadn’t been hurt more than a mild concussion but with everything he had been through everyone was shocked to see him back at work. It wasn’t the work that drove him to sacrifice his life every day. It was the thought of not being near Carl. 

Which was why, now when his boss had actually kissed him, he was pissed that Carl wasn’t talking about it. He knew he wasn’t going to open up about it anytime soon so he decided to push him. 

Carl could see something was up the minute Assad came towards him. They had been working on a case on their computers when Assad had suddenly gotten up and went into the break room with his jacket. When he finally stood in front of Carl he hesitated, a second of fear and doubt hitting him before he finally did it.  
Carl looked at him with annoyance until he saw what was in Assad’s hand. The red thread curling around his fingers and the necklace in his palm. His heart started to beat faster again but he just looked away from his partner. 

“You said..” Assad paused but continued. “You said to give it to someone who deserved my love.” And then he put it around Carl’s neck. Carl was in shock, his instincts telling him to rip the necklace off or say something hurtful and sarcastic. To push people away. That’s what he was good at. 

Assad was fiddling with his sweater, clearly nervous and his face was heating up. He was grateful that Rose had gone for lunch so she couldn’t laugh at how ridiculous he was, giving something so childish to Carl.  
Except he knew Carl understood the implication. Probably better than anyone else. 

Carl still didn’t say anything, but he did look at Assad, trying to gauge wether it was a joke or not but Assad wasn’t mocking him, he was just smiling a little nervously.  
He took the necklace off, his chest hurting when he saw how sad and closed off Assad looked. But he didn’t throw it away. He put it in his pocket and Assad knew that it was better than being outright rejected. 

They left it at that. Assad didn’t bring it up again and neither did Carl. Everything went back to normal a few days later, even if initially Assad had been closed off and going home early to avoid being alone with Carl.  
Carl felt stupid, his pride was always in the way of what really mattered. And he could tell what really mattered. Cus it flared up in his chest whenever he saw Assad smiling. 

It was Rose who noticed it first. The little heart pendant stuck on Carl’s keys. This time without the red thread but secured nearly with a metal ring to the keychain.  
“Ohooo what’s this!” Rose exclaimed with glee, separating the heart key to observe it in the light. 

“Wait, is that the one from the case?” She looked a little disbelieving at Carl.  
“You filed that one yourself didn’t you?” Carl muttered, hoping she would quit exposing him.  
“Yeah.. but..” she tried but Carl interrupted “so it’s not.” And closed the conversation.  
Assad had been listening though, his heart pounding in his chest as he realized Carl was keeping the key on him at all times after all. 

They still didn’t talk about it. And it was eating Carl up inside.  
Especially at this time of the year when the snow was slowly falling around him and the fog was visible when he was breathing.  
Reminding him of standing outside in the cold watching Assad’s body be hurried into an ambulance outside Danevang, his body numb and in extreme anxiety alert at the same time. 

“Carl?” Assads worried voice broke through, and he was reminded of the present, standing outside the police building, his fingers numb with the cold and his nose turning red.  
Carl hummed in answer and picked up his pace, he had been staring into the air in memory, a little embarrassed. 

Inside was warm and cozy, Christmas lights and decorations and big fuzzy sweaters and fancy dresses.  
Carl wasn’t in the mood, he felt his chest turning tight with the amount of people around and was about to turn around and leave when he felt Assad’s hand on his shoulder.  
Assad who always noticed when he was anxious or uncomfortable. 

But Assad wasn’t the only good detective in the room and pretty quickly Carl noticed something was up with his partner too.  
Whenever Assad would lean in to hug someone he would not go all the way. There was a pained look on his face as he apologized and said he was turning sick so he didn’t want to hug everyone so closely.  
This was off course a lie because Carl knew very well how Assad looked when he was sick.  
Sometimes even before Assad knew himself.  
Red rimmed eyes and little sniffles and an overall fragile mood that made Carl want to protect him. 

No, something else was up and he was determined to find out what. It seemed like Assad was in pain on his chest and Carl turned worried real fast.  
But in the end it meant he had to socialize to get close to Assad and why do that when he could just go home and drink alone and investigate further tomorrow at work. 

Except it was their day off because of Christmas and New Years and what the fuck was Carl supposed to do now?  
Jacobsen had assured him there was no poor woman trapped in a well somewhere for 20 years who needed his help. He tried going to work anyways but Jacobsen had put a big sign on the department Q door saying “GO HOME CARL- merry Christmas, Jacobsen”

To his surprise he met Assad in the canteen, writing some notes for the case they were working on and drinking coffee from his thermos.  
Even if it was Christmas break there were still people at work in the ever busy police building, but the food part of the canteen was closed. Unlike Carl, Assad had expected that at least and brought his own coffee. 

Carl scoffed and sat down across from his partner.  
“Michaels at work on fourth, he’ll have some coffee if you bother go up there and charm your way in..” Assad wasn’t laughing but there was humor in his voice.  
He didn’t look exhausted like Carl felt after all the alcohol and lack of sleep, but there was some bags under his eyes, the coffee helped. 

Assad shared his lunch with him and eventually, as they got further into the case, Carl did go up on fourth to get coffee.  
He came back empty handed and scowling, which resulted in Assad proper laughing.  
It was nice to see Assad laugh. After all he had been through, Carl thought he deserved it. 

“You’re not sick. So what happened?”  
The moment turned soft and Assad could hear it in Carl’s voice, the genuine worry.  
It reminded him of their kiss, how he was yearning for it. How he wanted to just express his love freely to Carl. 

Assad brushed a lock of hair back around his ears. A nervous tick. His hair had grown so long now that he sometimes even put it back with a hair elastic.  
Carl wanted to brush his fingers through it. 

“It’s hmm... I’ll show you?”  
That wasn’t what Carl has expected. Show him? Show him what? And Assad could tell Carl was panicking, his eyebrow turning into a frown.  
“Later. I’ll show you later.” He finished with a calm smile. Trying to convey that Carl didn’t have anything to worry about. 

Later apparently meant proper late.  
After dinner, even after a few beers for Carl’s ever present shaking hands.  
Assad hailed a cap for them and Carl commented on how he could kill a man with that sharp whistle of his.  
Assad was smiling at him all night and Carl got drunk on it. 

It was so fucking cold out now and Carl just had to blow on his red shaky hands in the taxi as they drove back to his house.  
Assad paid and got out with him and Carl gave him an odd look until he remembered the promise. 

The promise, turned out to be ‘delayed’ because Assad was avoiding looking Carl in the eyes, cleaning his apartment from piling dishes and what not until Carl’s curiosity got the better of him. 

“So.. it’s later now. Tell me why you’re in pain.”  
Assad put the plates back in the cupboard and sighed, put the dish towel away and went over to the sofa where Carl was sitting calmly.  
It was just after midnight and Assad must really be nervous if he was cleaning dishes at someone else’s house this late. 

“Don’t..” Assad started to say, but then swallowed his words.  
He wanted to say ‘don’t get mad’ but he had to man up to his feelings.  
Instead he took his sweater off, ruffling his hair as the fabric moved over his head. 

Carl was sitting up more now, a confused look on his face as Assad started to unbutton his shirt.  
Was this really happening? Carl eyed the door in case he felt like bolting.  
Strangely enough he didn’t feel as panicked as he thought he would. 

Until he saw what Assad was hiding under his shirt.  
Assad looked away with a flush on his face as he finally moved his shirt fully off his body.  
Carl stood up abruptly, slow heavy steps until he was standing right in front of his partner. 

His partner in crime. Who was so strong and yet so fragile that Carl had this anxiety in his body every day that went by, that he could loose him so easily.  
Carl’s fingers hovered over Assad’s chest as he took it in.  
It was one thing to actually be this close, but another thing completely to see Assad opening himself to him.

“You said.. there had to be two..” Assad’s words where hushed but calm, like he didn’t want to spook Carl.  
Carl’s eyes flickered up to meet Assads, a million questions there but he was met with such warmth and happiness that he couldn’t help but be calm himself. 

There should be anger and confusion coursing through his veins.  
Assad’s tattoo forever branding them together.  
It was a clear sign of his love towards Carl and it was probably the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for him. 

Over Assad’s own heart, he had gotten a tattoo of the little heart key, with the red string around it and everything.  
It was on the better part of healed and Carl could actually touch it with his fingertips, trace the little heart, a symbol of their love. 

And for that he couldn’t be a coward no more.  
If Assad could be brave, then so could he. 

Carl held Assad’s face in his hands before finally kissing him.  
It was like he could finally breathe, his entire body was relaxed but most importantly his head was calm. 

Assad smiled into the kiss, eventually breaking it with his laugh.  
Carl should be annoyed but he couldn’t be, not with how happy Assad looked.  
“You’re not mad?”  
Assad was still calm, only a little nervous with his words, Carl could still push him away, out the house and close the door behind him. 

“I mean.. for making it permanent.”  
Carl ignored him and licked his lips before pushing Assad towards the bedroom.

Once he had his partner sprawled out on the bed, shirtless and flushed, lips all red from kissing and hair a mess from Carl’s fingers ruffling it, only then did he answer. 

“It has always been permanent.”  
And Carl could see the way Assads eyes turned from arousal to love and then back again into a mix, as he removed his own shirt and sat on top of him.

**Author's Note:**

> I must have written at least a hundred stories of these two idiots in love and only saved a handful.. also might add a sex scene to this if anybody cares lol


End file.
